VENICE, Fla. (SNN) - The City of Venice collected more money in building permit fees than they expected this year,  so now they are offering refunds.

The city said it is because of unanticipated construction activity.

The Florida Legislature recently amended Chapter 553 Florida Statutes to cap the amount of building fees local governments can carry forward from one fiscal year to the next.

Now, local governments can use excess funds to reduce future building fees or pay refunds, and the City of Venice decided to do both.

This means anyone who paid the city for a building permit between Oct. 1, 2018 and Sept. 30, 2022 will get a partial refund, unless the amount is calculated to be less than $10.

Refund amounts will be in proportion to the amount a person contributed to the overage in a particular fiscal year. For example, if a person paid $1,000 in permit fees in fiscal year 2022, his or her refund would be approximately $139.

Notification letters were sent to all applicants who are owed, and refunds will begin to be mailed Sept. 20.